Local radio stations raised funds to the tune of $23,212.75 this year in the 7th annual Radiothon to End Child Abuse held from Thursday to Friday, Dec. 1-2 on KWAD/KNSP and Superstation K-106.

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The Radiothon to End Child Abuse works to raise money for child protection and raise awareness about child abuse, which station manager Rick Youngbauer said is "more than just bruises."

The radiothon is assisted by local counties' human service departments.

"We work with child protection teams from all of those counties," he said. "When people call in and ask for pledges, they can choose if they want it to go Wadena County or Otter Tail or Todd or Hubbard, or they can share it among all counties."

He said that part of the money goes to the counties and part goes to Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota, and it all stays in the state.

During the Radiothon, Youngbauer interviewed Mike Willie of Wadena County Social Services and Becky Dale of Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota.

He said his favorite aspect of the radiothon was working with the counties and getting the word out.

Youngbauer said the Radiothon to End Child Abuse started in 1989 when representatives of Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota approached the station's owners, Lou Buron and Mary Campbell, in the Twin Cities. The radiothon was later moved to Bemidji, and then the company BL Broadcasting acquired the Wadena, Brainerd and Alexandria stations.

Wadena has been with the parent company Omni Broadcasting for about eight years and has been involved with the radiothon.

According to their press release, in the first seven years that KWAD/KNSP and Superstation K-106 have been part of the Radiothon, $171,671.21 has been raised. The parent company of KWAD/KNSP and Superstation K-106, Omni Broadcasting, started the Radiothon in 1989 and since that time more than $2.5 million has been raised.

Sixteen radio stations in central and northern Minnesota ask their listeners to make pledges to help end child abuse in Minnesota. The parent company of BL Broadcasting, Omni Broadcasting, has been honored with two national awards from the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation along with awards from the Minnesota Association of Broadcasters.

The release also said that Buron and Campbell are still involved with the radiothon in the communities they serve.